Sucker rod impulse and impact dampener



NOV. 9, 1937. c, HlNKLE ET AL 2,098,290

SUCKER ROD IMPULSE AND IMPACT DAMPENER Fild June a, 1936 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Nov 9, 1937. J. c. HINKLE ET AL SUCKER ROD IMPULSE AND IMPACT DAMPENER Filed June 8, 1936 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 ii I\ I lamvasfi L! atented Nov. 9, 1937 UNITED STATES v SUCKER ROD IMPULSE AND IMPACT AMPENER.

James Carl Hinkle and Frederick Edmund Scheider, Los Angeles, Calif.; said Scheider assignor to said Hinkle Application June 8, 1936, Serial No. 84,178

8 Claims.

This invention relates to and has for an object thereof the provision of an oil well sucker rod impulse and impact dampener in the form of a resilient means, which asa drive connection between a sucker rod and its operating means functions to relieve, cushion and dampen sucker rod shocks. and stresses. 1

Another object of this invention is the provision of a dampener of the character described which operates to smooth out strains and stresses produced by peak loads on the sucker rod, to smoothout irregular power impulses of prime movers, operating said rod, and to dampen vibrations and shocks produced by gearing, loose bearings and the impact of sucker rod couplingsagainst tubing joints; all for the obvious purpose of increasing the efficiency and life of sucker rods.

A further object of this invention is to pro- ,vide a sucker rod impulse and impact dampener such as described which permits the sucker rod speed to vary with the load instead of forcing the rod to move with the walking beam or operating means regardless of the load.

Anadditional object is to provide a resilient dampening means such as described which in effect stores up the energy of the operating means for the sucker rod during operation of said dampening means and applies such stored energy at 1 the accompanying drawings maybe carried out the times of peak loads on said rod. Astill further object is to providea resilient dampener such as described which permits of more efiective counterbalancing due to reduced sucker rod speeds by action of the dampener at 1 times of peak loads.

Another object is to provide an-impulse and impact dampener such as described the use of which makes possible an increase in per minute I strokes of the sucker rod beyond that heretofore possible and increases the volumetric efficiency of the pump due to the plunger lagging behind the walking beam or other drive member at the beginning of the up stroke and therebyallowing the traveling valve to stand open for a longer period of time whereby a greater amount of fluid will enter the pump. V

Yet another object is to provide a resilient drive connection between a sucker rod and its operating means wherein a resilient condition is maintained at all times during operation. of the rod and which likewise provides a straight line motion of the sucker rod at all'times. I v

With the above and other objects in view the invention subsists in the novel method and combination of parts hereinafter described, illustrated 55. in the accompanying drawings," and set forth in the claims hereto appended, it being understood that various changes in form, proportion, size and minor details or" construction within the scope of the claims may be resorted to without departing from the spirit or sacrificing any of the 5 advantages of the invention.

In the drawings: v Figure 1 is a side elevation of the apparatus of this invention as when incorporated with oil well pumping equipment.

Figure 2 is an end elevation of the apparatus as' shown in Figure 1, with the wrapping connector removed for simplicity in illustration.

Figure 3 isa longitudinal section of one embodiment of the resilient means employed in carrying out the invention and comprises a cylinder with piston parts therein the said parts containing a non-compressible adjusting and sealing compound and a compressible gas.

Figure 4 is a longitudinal elevational and part sectional view of Figure 3taken at right angles thereto.

Figure 5 is a detail view, part sectional, of one of the connecting links showing the means provided for lubrication of bearings thereof.

Figure 6 .is a side elevationof a variational form of a portion of the invention. k One embodiment of this invention as shown inby utilizing a resilient means of operative or driving connection A between the walking beam B and the sucker rod 0 of oil well pumping equipment including a driving means D for the. walking beam. Any resilient means serving as a driving connection for, and which permits the sucker rod to lag behind the motion of the walking beam or other driving member on peak loads may be employed althoughwe prefer such a means as will maintain a resilient joint at all times and which will cushion, relieve and dampen all shocks and stresses which may be imparted to and develop in said rod during all phases of its operation. One such means which may be effectively used includes a device wherein relatively movable members connected with the walking bean rand sucker rod respectively, have interposed therebetween a resilient medium which will yield against relative movement of said members yet serve as power or force transmitting means from one to the other of said members. i

As here shown a preferred embodiment of this invention includes flexible members I connected at 2 with the sucker rod C and at 3 with a lever or rocker 4 pivoted at 5 on the walking beam 13,

said lever or rocker 4 having pivotal connection at 6 with connecting links 7 which latter are pivoted on a crosshead 8 on a piston 9, Figures 3 and 4, operating in a cylinder l0 fixed on said walking beam. In this embodiment the resilient medium interposed between the relatively movable members, as hereinbefore noted, is a compressible gas disposed between saidpiston and the head portion of the said cylinder and thereby serving at all times as a means of resiliently transmitting the operating force of the walking beam to the sucker rod thru the piston 9, crosshead 8, connecting links ll, rocker or lever 4 and flexible connecting members i.

As a means for producing a straight line motion of the sucker rod, the walking beam is equipped with an anti-deflection head H which has a surface I? so curved and disposed that it will engage the connecting members i and main-= tain said straight line motion during operation of said sucker rod. Anti-friction rollers l3 are provided on members i to ride on the surface it of the head H.

The head II is secured to the walking beam in any suitable manner, for example, as by the hinge member 14 for connection with a counterpart member l5 held on the walking beam by a clamp 16 and a removablebolt or pin H. A pin I8 holds said members l4 and I 5 together and when removed permits the head II and rocker 4 to be swung to the outof way position indicated in dotted lines in Figure 1, whereby to permit the well string to clear the beam when the string is pulled from the well, it being noted that the pivot 5 for said rocker 4 is carried on the head I I.

The cylinder I0 is rigidly secured to the walking beam in any suitable manner and has its bore provided with two distinct bearing surfaces, exaggerated in the drawings for clearness, and comprising the bore 20 in which occurs the wear consequent to operation of the piston 9, and a counterbore 2| the surface of which is engagedsolely by the piston packing such as the rings or cup leathers 22, whereby the surace of the counterbore is relieved of any wear or scoring action by the guiding portions of the piston 9 and maintains the efiectiveness and increases the life'of the packing elements.

The piston 9 is of hollow form and is open at its upperend, closedat its lower end and comprises an upper tubular portion 23 and a lower tubular section or follower 24 between which is secured the cup leathers 22. The upper portion 23 has a reduced extension 25 closed as at 26 and threaded at 21 to receive a nut 28 which clamps the lower section 24 and packing 22 to the upper tubular portion 23.

Within the follower 24 and surrounding the extension 25 is an annular chamber 29 communicating with the bore of the extension through the openings 30., Similar openings 3| in the upper portion 23 of the piston communiy: cate the interior thereof with the cylinder walls comprising the bore 20 and counterbore 2|. In the upper portion of the cylinder Ill are annular chambers 32 having openings 33 leading into the upper portion of the bore of said cylinder.

The several annular chambers and the hollow construction of the pistonare provided for reception of a non-compressible sealing and adjusting medium such for example asa compound; either fluid, semi-fluid or'of a grease-like consistency and charged into the cylinder thru. 8,

valved inlet 34 connecting with one oi! the chambers 32.

This valve inlet 34 has a flexible tube filling system 35 connected therewith and extended to a point 36 near the bottom of the walking beam support 31 whereby the cylinder may be conveniently charged as aforesaid.

In addition to charging the cylinder with said medium, the filling system 35 and inlet 36 may be used for introducing a compressible gas or fluid into said cylinder.

The sealing and adjusting medium may be comprised of any substance which will have the function of sealing the working parts of the piston and cylinder and which will cause a compressible gas cushion to be provided between the cylinder and the piston, and also lubricate said working parts.

When this sealing and adjusting medium is charged into the cylinder as aforesaid, compressible gas in, or which has been introduced into said cylinder throughthe inlet 34, is forced to the upper part of the bore of said cylinder and may be compressed as desired by a continued charging of said medium. Usually the cylinder is charged so as to fill the hollow piston, aforesaid chambers and the upper part of the cylinder, until the level of said medium in the latter is at any point between the uppermost chamber 32 and the top of the cylinder bore, provided there is established a resilient cushion of the compressible gas in the top of said cylinder whereby to create and maintain a resilient con- -necting and drive medium between the walking beam andthe sucker rod. Any amount 01' the sealing and adjusting medium may be charged into the cylinder provided the compressible gas cushion is created and maintained and it is now seen that the adjusting characteristic of the said medium is due to the fact that by varying the amount and pressure of the medium within said cylinder, the 'degree of compression and the action and eifect of the resilient gas connection" or cushion may be adjusted and controlled as described. Furthermore it should be noted that a compressible gas may be charged into the cylinder as and when desired, to regulate and control the dampening, cushioning, resilient action.

As here shown the lower end of the cylinder I0 is provided with opposed slots for the crosshead 8 and this lower end as well as said crosshead and the connecting links I are covered by a housing or shell 38 depending from a flange 33 on the cylinder. A quantity of lubricating oil is contained in said housing and kept free from dust etc. by the flexible tubular boots or wrapplngs 40 surrounding the links 1. In this connection it will be noted that the bearings at the point of connection of said rods with the lever 4, may be lubricated by the wicks 4| in bores 42 formed in said linksasshown in Figure 5.

It will now be seen the load of the sucker rod and oil column above the pump plunger will be carried by the cushion of compressible gas located between the top of the column of said medium in said cylinder and the top of said cylinder, and

when the walking beam moves to effect ,the lift.

impulse of the sucker rod, this gas cushion will be compressed and the lever 4 will rock on its pivot 5 as the piston 9 and links I move upward, whereby the sucker rod will lag behind the movement -of the walking beam. When the gas cushion is compressed to an extent as will cause it to act as a power or force transmitting medium between the walking beam and said sucker rod through walking beam, and operative to yieldingly resist the instrumentality of cylinder Id, piston 9, linls l, lever t and the flexible connection the beam will lift the sucker rod through its pumping stroke, but the gas cushion will further compress and dampen and relieve such shocks and stresses in the rod as may be occasioned by the impact of sucker rod couplings with the well tubing etc.

By maintaining the compressed gas cushion in a compressible and therefore resilient state at all times, the sucker rod will be subject to the dampening action and benefits hereinbeiore noted at all times and the other objects and advantages of the invention, as hereinbefore set forth will be attained in a particularly efficacious manner.

,Figure 6 shows a variational form of the invention as regards the lever d and anti-deflection head ll. Instead of these two elements a lever 63, identical in purpose to lever ii, is provided, with an anti-deflection head M as a part thereof.

. We claim:

1. The combination with the sucker rod and sucker rod operating member of oil well pumping equipment, of means of operative connection between said rod and said member including a cylinder fixed on said operating member, a piston in said cylinder, means connecting said piston with the sucker rod including a lever pivoted on said operating member, and a compressible gas in said cylinder resiliently resisting move: ment of said piston. e

2. In a sucker rod impulse and impact dampener, a sucker rod, a member movable to operate said rod, a lever pivoted on said member, flexible connecting means between said lever and said sucker rod, a cylinder fixed to said member, a piston operating in said cylinder, said cylinder having a non-compressible, fluid and a compressible gas contained therein with the gas maintained under compression by said non-compressible fluid, and links connecting said piston with said lever.

'3. A cylinder having a bore and a counterbore pivotal movement of the said pivoted connecting member. v

5. An oil well sucker rod impulse and impact dampener comprising an anti-deflection head, a lever pivoted on said head, a flexible element secured to said lever and adapted for connection with the sucker rod of the oil well and being disposed to be engaged by said head, resilient means for yieldingly resisting pivotal mcvement of said lever, means of connection betweensaid lever and said resilient means, means for securing the resilient means on the walking beam of the well,

means for hingedly securing said head to said walking beam whereby said head and lever thereon may be swung into out-of-the-way position when the flexible element is disconnected from and means connecting said piston with said lever.

7. An oil well sucker rod impulse and impact dampener. comprising a lever, means for pivotally mounting said .lever on the walking beam of the pumping equipment of the well, a flexible element secured to oneend of said lever and adapted for connection with the sucker rod of said'pumping equipment, resilient means for yieldingly resisting pivotal movement of said lever, means for fixing said resilient means on said walking beam, and means for connecting said resilient means with the other end of said lever.

8. A cylinder having a bore and a counterbore, a piston mounted to reciprocate in said cylinder and having a non-packed working surface engaged with said bore, said surface and the remainder of said piston being spaced from con-r} tact with said counterbore at all positions of the stroke of the piston, and packing means on said piston exclusively engaging the counterbore at all positions of the stroke of said piston.

JAMES CARL HINKLE. FREDERICK EDMUND SCHEIDER. 

